Background: Manchester City were formed in 1880 as West Gorton (St. Marks).[1] At this time organised League football did not exist; ordinary matches (what today would be called friendly games) were arranged on a largely ad hoc basis and supplemented by the competitive games that cup competition required. No complete record of the club's matches prior to 1891 survives. In 1890, the club entered the FA Cup for the first time, but withdrew in the second qualifying round. The following season they joined the Football Alliance, and in 1892 were elected to the newly formed Football League Second Division. In 1894 the club restructured, changing its name to Manchester City in the process.

The club first reached the highest division of English football in 1899.[2] Since then City have undergone a further 22 promotions and relegations, though the majority of their history has been spent in the top division of English league football. The club has won the League Championship four times, the FA Cup five times, the League Cup three times and the European Cup Winners' Cup once.

In 1970 League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup victories were both achieved in the same season, making Manchester City only the second English club (Leeds United were the first in 1968) to achieve a domestic cup and European cup double within the same year,[3] and the first English club to do so within the same season. The Blues were also the last team to win the English League championship with a team consisting entirely of players of English nationality (many of whom were also native Mancunians).

As of the end of the 2009–10 season, the club had played 4,919 competitive matches.[4][5] In that time the club has spent 81 seasons in the top division of English football, 25 seasons in the second, and one season in the third.